Tuesday Refocus: September 26

“We must not become people who denounce but do not weep. Nor those who weep but never denounce. Too much is at stake both ways.” - D. A. Carson

Ours is a culture quick to denounce. In some ways, this is a good thing. Christians should be at the forefront of seeking to see “…justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24).” Because we know what is good, and what is required by the Lord: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). Christians should be quick to denounce racism, sexism, exploitation, injustice, and sin in all its forms and locations. And in this way be about the business of seeing “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10).”

But simply denouncing without weeping fails to enter into the brokenness of our world. Without weeping, we keep brokenness at a distance. Without weeping, anger feels like action.

Jesus, you wept at the tomb of your friend, and you wept over Jerusalem. You grieve and groan over the brokenness of our world, and have yourself been broken for our sake. You did not keep our brokenness at a distance, but stepped into it, and took it upon yourself. May we be people who model this kind of self-giving sacrifice to the world around us. For Your glory, and for the good of the whole world. Amen.

Both/and,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: May 30

“You will never have time for prayer; you must make time.” - Richard Foster

How easily our prayers become repeated phrased before a meal. Things we say under our breath as we feel anxiety rise up within us. But what is prayer is more than words we mindlessly utter, and more about presence with and to the One who is present everywhere, all the time?

Can we still and quiet our mind, so that like Jacob we may say, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it (Gen 28:16).’ Or what if like Samuel, our prayers were less about speaking and more about listening to the One who speaks - ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears (1 Sam 3:9).’

In speaking, silence, and presence - our prayers are to be unceasing (1 These 5:17). May we make time for speaking, make space for silence, and become aware of the presence of the Lord in this day.

Lord, draw near and speak, for we desire to listen. Lord, incline your ear, for we desire to confess. Lord, let the morning bring us word of your unfailing love. In Christ’s name, amen.

Amen,

AB

June 15: Tuesday Refocus

“Most Scriptures speak to us, the Psalms speak for us.” —Athanasius

Every experience of being human is represented in the Psalms.  

Fear and peace (Ps 56:3, Ps 91).  

Sorrow and joy (Ps 16:4,11).  

Pain and triumph (Ps 40, Ps 59:10)

And everything in between.

One of the things I find so profoundly moving is that Jesus, being fully God, put on our flesh and bone, and stepped into our brokenness.  Although Jesus was not broken on the inside the way you and I are broken, Jesus uses the Psalms to give voice to his experience of inhabiting a human body.  And we see this clearly on the cross - of all of the ways that the God-man could express His heart at that moment, He uses our words - ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46).

Wherever you are in your journey of faith, you can look to the Psalms to give voice to your experience.  And you can look to your Savior, who this very moment inhabits a fully glorified human body, like the one that will be ours when our sojourning is over, and we see our Savior face-to-face (Phil 3:21).

Jesus, we look to You - the one who has taken on our skin and sin.  The One who uses Your Spirit-inspired words to give voice to your experience.  The One who is able to empathize with us as our Great High Priest - and we are grateful to You, and for You.  In Your name, amen.

Looking,

AB

Growing As A Communicator

Public speaking consistently tops lists of things people most fear. It is not often I meet a worship leader who feels comfortable or confident when it comes to speaking and communicating non-musically from the platform. Give us an instrument and a room of any size and we are fine, ask us to speak? No thank you.

There is a big difference between a song leader and a worship leader. A song leader will see communication as merely information transfer - a quick welcome, verbal cues for lyrics, prayers to transition from one aspect of the gathering to the next. Worship leaders see communication as a way to continually shepherd people during the gathering. To direct people’s attention and affection to specific aspects of the heart and character of Christ, the beauty of the gospel, the truths being sung, and invite people to respond with their whole lives.

Whether you are comfortable with public speaking, or it makes your skin crawl, we can all grow in our ability to communicate clearly and effectively as worship leaders. I believe what will have the biggest impact on our ability as worship leaders to communicate well is intentionality. This means putting thought and purpose behind when you will speak and what you will say. Where are the holes in the flow of the gathering? How can you help connect the dots for people between what has happened in the week, what is happening in their lives, what they have just heard preached, and the reality of the Gospel?

Whether you are comfortable leading verbally or not, my encouragement is always the same: write it down. This doesn’t mean that you must read something verbatim. But writing down what you will say helps you to formulate more clearly what you are wanting to communicate. It can also ensure that you won’t start down a half-thought-out rabbit trail to nowhere. Once you write it down, practice speaking out loud. You have to get used to the sound of your voice as you speak something that is not off the cuff but planned and purposeful. Practicing it out loud also allows you to fine-tune the rhythm, timing, and clarity of what you are trying to articulate in the first place.

Okay, so maybe you are slowly easing into growing as a verbal communicator. Another form of communication often overlooked as worship leaders is our body language. Making eye contact when leading up front, smiling, having a posture of openness, being available and engaging off the platform, presence without swagger, working to avoid the appearance of frenetic pace which can often accompany before and after service.

Like all skills, the more you practice the more proficient you become. If it feels overwhelming, or scary, take small, intentional steps each time you serve. Honestly evaluate, elicit feedback from people who are strong in this area. Practice, practice, practice. Our people are worth the growing pains.